Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Hobbies that Begin with "W" - Blogging from A to Z Challenge

During the 2018 Blogging from A to Z Challenge, I will be focusing on hobbies that I have introduced to my daughters to through their childhood and teen years. Some were done as part of homeschooling, while others were areas that we explored because we were interested in the subject or activity. These are hobbies that anyone of any age could try as well.

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Sophia and Olivia have done a variety of hobbies that begin with the letter "W": walking, watching movies, weaving, woodcarving, and writing.

Walking

The girls and I have done a lot of walking through their lives. We have enjoyed taking the dogs on many of our walks. Each Spring, we would walk through fields of dandelions - seas of yellow as far as our eyes could see.

May 21, 2008

When Shadow showed up at our farm and was an outdoor cat, we often would go on walks with him...or him with us.

June 1, 2008

We walked in nearby fields during all seasons. Sometimes the view was very open, and other times we were surrounded by corn that was at least a couple of feet taller than us.

May 17, 2009

The girls liked walking Eenie outdoors in the backyard. He and Boo were the only two cats we've had that would walk on a leash.

March 14, 2010

We walked to explore nature and wildlife. Below, the girls are slowly walking as they approach a flock of geese. They wanted to see what the geese looked like up close.

August 24, 2010

When my dad was in the nursing home for a couple of months, we would visit him. Below, the girls and I went on a walk through one area to go the healing garden that had flowers, swing, and water fountain. He was having a fun time on this walk - being dramatic (in a good way). It was a great visit.

October 15, 2011

We went camping in June 2012 at Lake Shetek State Park and went on a walk. We brought my dad's walking sticks with us.

June 10, 2012

He had died in January 2012, so we were thinking about him as we used the walking sticks he took on walks and hikes when he was involved with Boy Scouts.

June 10, 2012

A couple months later, the girls and I went to Itasca State Park and saw where the Mississippi River started. On the left side is a lake and to the right, the start of the river.

September 5, 2012

We have walked the dogs countless times down the road pictured below. It's one of our favorite walks because it's so open - just lots of fields and pastures.

March 29, 2013

We went to Grand Marais and walked on some trails that we had not explored in the past.

June 6, 2013

One Halloween, we went to a regional park where there was a party.

October 19, 2013

The girls dressed up and we had fun walking around doing different activities.

Watching Movies
We have enjoyed watching movies in movie theaters and at home. Although we don't normally take our photos at movies we go to, we did when we saw Voyage of the Dawn Treader since it was Sophia's 10th birthday.

December 30, 2010

During Advent one year, we did different activities. On the 5th, we watched Happy Feet and ate popcorn. It was a nice family night.

December 5, 2011

One of our favorite places to see movies is at a theater that has reclining seats. We have seen quite a few movies at that theater.

Weaving
The girls began weaving with paper. They did the construction paper weaving using large strips woven into a big sheet of construction paper.

They moved into paper weaving using watercolor paper they painted. Below, Sophia made a woven Swedish heart. It opens on the top and can be filled with a treat or a hanger can be added and it can be used as an ornament.

February 9, 2009

Later in the year, Sophia did a woven ornament using felt. To hold the weaving in place along the edges, Sophia used embroidery floss to do the running stitch.

October 15, 2009

On May 13, 2017, Olivia and I took a Saori weaving course at the Shepherd's Harvest.

There were about ten looms set up in a circle. We arrived early and were able to pick which loom we wanted to use (they were set up with the vertical rows of yarn.

Olivia chose a black yarn that she used for the entire weaving project.

When the session was finished, she tied off the ends and made a fringe.

Olivia's weaving was long enough to use as a scarf.

It was soft and beautiful in its pattern.

We will be doing another Saori class at the 2018 Shepherd's Harvest in May, and are looking forward to it.

Woodcarving
Sophia and Olivia have enjoyed seeing wood carvings - like this otter at a nature center in Bloomington, Minnesota.

March 16, 2009

We have seen religious wood carvings as well. This one was on trip we were on to the New England states in 2011. This particular wood carving was at a church in Boston.

September 10, 2011

Olivia tried doing wood carving in 2013. She cut out the wood using a scroll saw. She drew her design on one side and then carved it.

July 14, 2013

Although she hasn't done wood carving since then, it was a good way to learn the work that is involved in creating wood carved artwork.

Writing

Some of the first writing that the girls di was to their Tooth Fairy, Flossie.

June 5, 2008

The girls would leave notes by food, furniture, and other items they set up for Flossie.

November 14, 2008

The girls both had penmanship as part of homeschooling. In addition to practicing letters, they also would write verses on sheets and color them.

September 13, 2011

Writing was also a part of nature journaling. Below, Olivia wrote about a grasshopper she saw at her grandfather's nursing home.

October 16, 2011

They wrote letters to children of servicemen and women to encourage them and thank them for the sacrifices they made.

November 21, 2011

The letters were included with a backpack filled with items that children would enjoy and need.

November 21, 2011

One year, we decided to write letters to Santa at the North Pole.

December 9, 2011

We addressed the letters and mailed them at the local post office.

December 9, 2011

The girls also would write notes to Santa and ask lots of questions. Santa always wrote back to them and answered their questions.

December 24, 2011

Sophia did a nature journal entry one year that focused on a walk she took.

February 26, 2013

Letters to the Tooth Fairy continued to the last of the baby teeth.

April 4, 2013

One year, when the girls were 12 and 10 years old, I received a surprise note and two of my favorite candy bars.

August 7, 2013

This is one of my favorite notes that the girls wrote to me. It was unexpected...heartfelt...and so thoughtful.

3 comments:

These are amazing hobbies. I think it is awesome to have your children do things just for the pleasure of doing them--like the weaving, for example. It makes me want to find a class for my kids right now! Melanie's Stories

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My name is Ann, and I'm a mom to two daughters who were adopted from China. I'm also a crafter; writer; and someone who always seems to have a camera in hand.
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